Sleep
by iMissa
Summary: Just because he no longer has Shukaku doesn’t mean that the nightmares stop. GaaSaku.


**Disclaimer: Uh, yeah, I don't own Naruto, or the lyrics on the bottom, which is from a song called Let Me Be The One by Blessid Union of Souls. **

**Dedication: To Annie, for her 18th birthday. I love you, and I hope your birthday is every bit as amazing as you are.**

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When he dreams, the scenes are bathed in vermillion. This doesn't surprise him, of course, because of all of the atrocities he committed when he was younger, but he longs for the dreams that yield spring green eyes and cotton candy pink hair, of brilliant smiles that could outshine the sun and a peacefulness that could soothe anything.

However, he bears these nightmares because he knows he deserves them-- knows that he should be trapped in the lowest pits of hell, but one cannot change their past and instead he now looks to the future, but when he sleeps his mind traps him back to days where his sand was practically crimson due to all the blood it absorbed.

His brow is furrowed, his skin wet with sweat, and, unconsciously, he makes a pained whimper in the back of his throat; he is small, and his uncle, the person closest to him, someone he believed loved him, was trying to kill him.

"Gaara?" And then she is there, a cool hand pressed to his forehead, and then she is healing him, in every sense of the word. Yashamaru is beginning to fade from view and emerald eyes fill his sight. Her eyes are worried and her mouth is etched into a frown. He stares up at her, and she smiles, though the trouble on her face cannot be erased so easily.

Smooth, soft fingers move from his forehead to his hair, and they run through it, fingernails scratching his scalp gently and Gaara closes his eyes, feeling more content than he has in so long.

"You must be tired." She whispers, and he shifts closer to her, wanting to absorb the warmth and kindness and pure _acceptance _that she seemed to radiate. Gently, she shifted so that her knees were by his head, and almost on instinct he placed his head in her lap, and her hands were still running themselves through his hair. He closes his eyes, his body relaxing as he concentrates on the contentment flowing through his body.

"I wish you didn't have these nightmares." He cracks open an eye and stares at her; she is biting her lip, face drawn, and something clenches in his stomach because Sakura was made for happiness. One of his hands wander up and grasps her own, then interlocks their fingers. She breaks out into a smile, but it is tight.

"Sakura," his voice is husky with tiredness, but he will not sleep until she is happy, "this is my repentance," she frowns at that; she doesn't like it when he believes he must punish himself, but says nothing, "but so long as you are here, it is bearable."

She smiles again, and he feels the relief washing over him. She moves again, getting off their bed and turning off their light--it is only then that he notices she is in her pajamas--and fixes her papers on the desk before she climbs into bed beside him, and almost automatically, because it has become a habit now, he wraps his arms around her.

She snuggles into his embrace, and looks up at him. "I love you." She tells him, and he cannot doubt her because her sincerity rang with every word. He leans down and kisses her forehead, eyelids, cheeks, and finally, her lips. When he reaches the appendage, he feels like he is complete once more, and she reciprocates, lips moving slowly against his own before she pulls back, yawning.

"Sleep." He tells her, and she smiles.

"You're one to talk, _Kazekage-sama." _She teases him lightly, and he sighs.

"Just shut up and sleep." She grins, but before long her breathing has evened out, and he watches as the moonlight and shadows play on her face, and he brushes a strand back of her hair.

When he finally settles down and closes his eyes, it is not death that meets his eyes but her face, smiling and laughing and _happy _to be with him, and this, he thinks, is what it must be like to be saved.

_--In those big green eyes I see a glow of love, I just hope I'm the one you're dreaming of.--_

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**A/N--Er, written in like, three hours, which is why it's short and, well, not all that good; forgive me, I had a hard time trying to get into Gaara's head. Reviews rock my world; be my earthquake?**


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